I suppose that would have to be at the actual home ground of the senior teams. Hope we get to go to the Olympic Stadium.
I think you may find the Prem teams will be away if against a FL club, and will only play a home game if they draw another Prem team.
Could be the case that the 16 Prem teams are spread across the 16 groups meaning the FL teams are guaranteed 2home games
One team FL side will play at a Premier U21 side. Can't see it being a training ground as some fans will want to go. At worst it will be a local non-league ground.
Yep, we really should play our U21s in games against PL U21s. It will save PL clubs the cost of a visit to the academy before they tap up our kids (as they are allowed to do, as long as we're not Cat One).
I like the JPT, but I'm not overly fussed by this, in part because in my list of qualms with the PL, FL, and FA, this is so far down there. This is PL clubs exerting their power and influence, no surprise there. It also creates even more fixture congestion without any real regard for the clubs in their league by the Football League, so no surprise there either.
All that said, the set-up for the League Trophy is quite niche anyway--just L1 and L2, so why not mix it up a bit? I for one am very much looking forward to Man City's U21 group of extremely talented, extremely lightweight foreigners going away to Oldham on a Tuesday night.
If nothing else, it'll be interesting to watch, at least at first, and then you realize there are two more "group games" plus a knock-out phase and the novelty will have worn off.
How to take a competition which few people care about and make it even more irrelevant.
My worry is it's the thin end of the wedge, and will pave the way for B teams in other competitions. Think the fans need to take a stand on this one and boycott the competition entirely.
To be fair, last time we played in the JPT the vast majority of fans boycotted the competition through complete apathy anyway
I don't like it, the JPT for us is a trophy which holds very little importance because we deem ourselves too big, but for other clubs it is a competition they can succeed in with the possibility of a trip to Wembley. With the Premier League exerting their power and adding their U21's teams they are painting the picture that the tournament is a "joke" and is a competition with low importance. Makes you wonder if there is even a point competing in the first place.
Not sure which tournament is more ridiculous and pointless, this or the Scottish Challenge Cup, which also has a new format. They're putting in u20s, non-league teams and clubs from Wales and Northern Ireland.
Ridiculous idea. 80,000 at Wembley Final for Man Utd U21 v Chelsea U21 in what is a Football League competition. Bonkers. I think most football, league fans will be against this idea and I've already read a number of articles from fans of various clubs opposing it.
Absolutely Large. A competition introduced so that smaller clubs get a crack at Wembley, and they turn it into an extension of the FA youth cup. No one in charge at any level of the game seems to give a shit about the integrity of the game anymore.
Voted on in Portugal? A way to give meaning to clubs like Chelsea who hoover up every player going, even though they will not break through at Chelsea or whoever. Completely crap idea unless.... ....unless clubs ballot supporters to become registered players, the game kicks off with five supporters, and in the first minute you make your three sub's and bring on three more supporters. Now that's blue sky thinking.
The BBC article names the five clubs. No surprise we weren't one of those, any chance for more income moves us closer to the main objective of breaking even.
Its a shame because the JPT is the one chance that League One / League Two teams have of a trip to Wembley other than for a Play-Off Final.
The top flight teams get enough opportunities as it is to go to Wembley (FA Cup / League Cup) so leave this one alone.
If they have to change anything then go back to the JPT including the top 12-Conference Teams and have three teams being relegated from League Two to the Conference!!
I'm more concerned about the 4 divisions of 20 teams plan being voted on next year that will have a significant on income with 4 less home games a season and am guessing that the expansion of the JPT will be used to counter this - either way its wrong and a further nail in the coffin for football outside the premier league
Best idea is to completely boycott the games against the under 21 teams. Although we don't get big attendances anyway at least it won't affect smaller clubs from getting income they might budget for.
So the FL clubs voted for it, but neither the clubs nor the FL carried out a smidgen of consultation with their ...err.. Customers about this.
The new boss of the FL is the keynote guest at the Supporters Summit on July 16th. CAST wants to collate as many opinions as possible, but the verdict here looks pretty much unanimous. If the view is similar among our 13 other Coalition Trusts ( AFCW are one of them) we can really give him a rough ride, and I will be pleased to personally do so on behalf of us.
A snip from @Leeds_Addick's excellent link sums it up for me.
Supporters want to see their clubs play real teams. Real teams with history and something to play for. Teams with a following and a fanbase. Teams that have spent hundreds of years trying to be the very best that they can be.
Instead continues the era where the lower leagues must further prop up The Premier League. Because a multi-billion pound TV deal isn’t enough. Because forcing EPPP on clubs isn’t enough. Because world class academies aren’t enough. A few games against teams that the Premier League treat so contemptibly is not going to solve the English youth development problem when clubs continue to hoard players. When there isn’t enough games to play this incredible collection of talent that has been amassed, The Premier League wants to play the clubs it pulled away from so spectacularly in 1992. The hypocrisy stinks.
It needs a fan boycott from all League One/Two teams. The competition needs to labelled a reserve or development competition by fans. Johnson's Paint also needs to be given a boycott to put the sponsors under pressure and then they need to be bombarded on social media.
Comments
Not as if they'll be sell outs that are revenue generators for the lower league clubs.
All that said, the set-up for the League Trophy is quite niche anyway--just L1 and L2, so why not mix it up a bit? I for one am very much looking forward to Man City's U21 group of extremely talented, extremely lightweight foreigners going away to Oldham on a Tuesday night.
If nothing else, it'll be interesting to watch, at least at first, and then you realize there are two more "group games" plus a knock-out phase and the novelty will have worn off.
Rochdale v Man U U21's will give them their biggest gate of the season.
Is it only us that play in the Kent Senior Cup ?
Hopefully the PL clubs are paying for the hosting to all games not like they can't afford it
A way to give meaning to clubs like Chelsea who hoover up every player going, even though they will not break through at Chelsea or whoever.
Completely crap idea unless....
....unless clubs ballot supporters to become registered players, the game kicks off with five supporters, and in the first minute you make your three sub's and bring on three more supporters.
Now that's blue sky thinking.
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36503204
We won't but we should just use it to play our own u21s.
The top flight teams get enough opportunities as it is to go to Wembley (FA Cup / League Cup) so leave this one alone.
If they have to change anything then go back to the JPT including the top 12-Conference Teams and have three teams being relegated from League Two to the Conference!!
The new boss of the FL is the keynote guest at the Supporters Summit on July 16th. CAST wants to collate as many opinions as possible, but the verdict here looks pretty much unanimous. If the view is similar among our 13 other Coalition Trusts ( AFCW are one of them) we can really give him a rough ride, and I will be pleased to personally do so on behalf of us.
Supporters want to see their clubs play real teams. Real teams with history and something to play for. Teams with a following and a fanbase. Teams that have spent hundreds of years trying to be the very best that they can be.
Instead continues the era where the lower leagues must further prop up The Premier League. Because a multi-billion pound TV deal isn’t enough. Because forcing EPPP on clubs isn’t enough. Because world class academies aren’t enough. A few games against teams that the Premier League treat so contemptibly is not going to solve the English youth development problem when clubs continue to hoard players. When there isn’t enough games to play this incredible collection of talent that has been amassed, The Premier League wants to play the clubs it pulled away from so spectacularly in 1992. The hypocrisy stinks.